Release Day Blitz: Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6) by Penny Reid

Dating-ish, an all new standalone from the USA Today bestselling Knitting in the City romantic comedy series by Penny Reid is now LIVE!

‘Dating-ish’ can be read as a standalone, is a full length 100k word novel, and is book #6 in the Knitting in the City Series.

There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris: 1) She’s fed up with online dating, 2) She’s so fed up, she’s willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and 3) She knows how to knit.

After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of humankind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men. With the help of her friends, she quickly identifies a few possibilities:

Need a cuddle? Use a professional cuddler. Need affirmation? Get yourself a life coach. Need an orgasm? Try orgasm meditation! Why does she need the hassle of a romantic partner when she can meet all her needs with paid services?

But then her irritating date resurfaces. And he’s not at all the person she thought he was. And he suggests a different–and crazier–solution to her dilemma . . .

As everyone knows (or will soon come to realize), traditional relations between humans are a thing of the past. Robots are our future. And if robots are our future, then why do we need other people at all?

I remember reading a warning by Penny Reid on social media, telling us Dating-ish is weird, maybe the weirdest book by her. I completely agree with her. Dating-ish is weird. So adorably, charmingly, endearingly, delightfully weird. This book made my heart so damn happy. It made me laugh and smile so so much. Marie wasn’t one of those characters who majorly stood out in the knitting group. But damn, her story definitely does. Marie is a character you can relate to. She is the everyday girl whose superpower is being awesome exactly as she is. She doesn’t have the almost photographic recall like Janie or the fighting skills like Fiona, or the innate understanding of people like Sandra. Marie is a regular girl who lives a regular life, but has a super-awesome heart and an inherent loyalty towards her friends and a passion towards her job.

Equally adorkabley loveable was Professor Matthew Simmons. I did not expect him. When we last saw him as a side character in Happily Ever Ninja, I thought that’s pretty much it, we might not see him again (even though I secretly wanted to see him again). But Matt and Marie together, it surprised the hell out of me.. They have become my favorite flavor of M&M’s (see what I did there… M(arie) & M(att), oh yeah)

Matt and Marie’s first date does not go as expected. They get off on the wrong foot. But then, smart people that they are, they decide to use each other for their respective projects; Marie for her article on alternatives to dating and Matt for his research on his AI robot. Herein we see the onset of a quirky, adorable friendship. I say friendship because a.) they do become friends and b.) they refuse to accept their attraction to each other.

Matt and Marie are so damn adorable together (there’s that word again. But this book and it’s characters are just that, ADORABLE). They are what I want to be when I grow up. But for a highly intelligent guy, Matt can be so dumb as well. His refusal to accept his attraction towards Marie is a little frustrating. I wanted to hit him upside head a few times. But then there were times when I wanted to hug him tight and kiss him. I loved the way he found excuses to spend time with Marie. Be it going to a professional cuddler or to meet a life coach, Matt found a way to go with Marie.

Dating-ish has just become my favorite book in the series. But, I do have one tiny complaint. While there was a lot and I mean a LOT of foreplay and build up, the actual getting together of Marie and Matt only happened in the last couple of chapters. Which means less sexy times as well. Will you extend this book a bit Penny and give us multiple long epilogues, just so we can get a bit more of Matt and Marie? Pretty please? :-*

I also loved the insight we got into Janie and Fiona’s pregnancy. But the highlight. That belongs to the bomb Penny threw at us with some news about Kat. She so smoothly paved the way for Kat and Dan’s story. I am so excited for that.

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.